The internet is incredible in every sense of that word, defined variously as “so implausible as to elicit disbelief; not credible; astonishing, extraordinary; surpassing the possibility of belief as to what is possible; unimaginable; inconceivable; too extraordinary and improbable to admit of belief; marvelous; fabulous; amazing; awe-inspiring; profoundly affecting” etc.
But of course the internet is not literally incredible today — because it actually exists and therefore is not a matter of belief. However just a few decades ago it would have been incredible in the literal sense of the word. If someone had claimed as recently as the mid-1980s that in a few decades the average human would be carrying in his hands a device (costing a couple of hundred $$) which would be more powerful than the existing supercomputers (which cost hundreds of millions of $$), and that he would have access to a vast store of audio, video, text and graphics information, and have the ability to communicate with billions of others in an instant for practically zero (marginal) cost, that someone would have been considered slightly nutty, if not outright delusional. The revolution in computing and communications technologies have transformed the world beyond anyone’s imagination.
There was a world before the internet where people lived quite fulfilled lives. But now it is hard for us to imagine how we would get on without it. The internet is present in every aspect of our lives: education, work, play, entertainment, shopping, whathaveyou. Among the things that I value the most is the stuff on YouTube. I like the lectures, talks and various instructional videos on YouTube and other videos services like Vimeo. I believe that you can get a much better education on the internet than in any traditional chalk-and-talk school (except for the most expensive ones which only the extremely rich can afford.)
Admittedly, you could still need some kind of guide to help you sort through the huge pile of rubbish. But that is also quite easily done. There are channels of information that stand out of the crowd. If a channel’s videos are watched and liked by millions, it signals quality.
I have my favorite channels, most of which are related to economics, music, cooking, engineering, science and technology. In the instructional space, one of my favorites is Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. (I can never remember the spelling and don’t have a clue on how to pronounce it.) It has scores of videos, each with millions of views. Your mileage may vary but I am addicted to it and other instructional channels.
Here are a couple from Kurzgesagt which I watched just now.
And one more which verges on the philosophical.
This has been a public service announcement. Original content will be back soon. Possibly.😃
A great website, thank you for passing it on.
It probably goes well with this little nutshell from the 1600’s:
Either know, or listen to someone who does .
To live, you need understanding: either your own or borrowed.
But many people are unaware they don’t know, and others think they know when they do not.
Attacks of foolishness have no remedy.
Because the ignorant do not know themselves, they never look for what they are lacking.
Some would be sages, if they did not believe they were so already.
Oracles of prudence are rare, but all of them are idle, for no one consults them.
Asking advice won’t diminsh your greatness or cast doubt on your talent.
To the contrary; it will strengthen your reputation.
To combat misfortune, take counsel with reason.
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